


Just A Collector

by jettiebettie



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Catlad AU, Gen, Tim would really like to not be arrested
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-19
Updated: 2013-01-19
Packaged: 2017-11-26 02:25:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/645519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jettiebettie/pseuds/jettiebettie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The smoothie stand in the park was a great place to sit, take a breath, and try to ignore the bruises and cuts under his hoodie. Tim took a tentative sip from his take-away cup and then laid his head back on the wooden table. His ribs hurt, his legs hurt, his eye hurt (those goggles aren’t cheap, and yet his right lens got smashed like so much candy glass last night), everything. Everything hurt. </p>
<p>But smoothies helped.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just A Collector

The smoothie stand in the park was a great place to sit, take a breath, and try to ignore the bruises and cuts under his hoodie. Tim took a tentative sip from his take-away cup and then laid his head back on the wooden table. His ribs hurt, his legs hurt, his eye hurt (those goggles aren’t cheap, and yet his right lens got smashed like so much candy glass last night), everything. Everything hurt.

But smoothies helped.

Until the smoothies ran out along with his pocket money. So he sat at the table sucking on his straw for lack of anything better to do, because he’d be damned if he was getting up any time soon. He should call Selina, most likely, but decided to avoid her for now before she ripped him a new one. And she would for the stunt he pulled last night. She had told him time and again to avoid the Joker- stay out of his reach, don’t let him catch you. And he would have done just that, if it weren’t for the hostages. If it weren’t for the fact that Tim knew that Bruce Wayne was on the other side of Gotham with no chance to pull away from his charity function to be there in time.

Stupid billionaires with their stupid excuses to be stupid together in their _stupid fancy clothes_ -

But he knew that Mr. Wayne was anything _but_ stupid and that he probably spent the whole eighteen minutes forty-five seconds sweating bullets, trying to get to his suit and gear. It’s a very small consolation and Tim only pouted a _little_ bit when he finally gave up the ghost with his smoothie. He seriously considered taking a nap right there. Mr. Wayne, however, had other plans.

Tim refused to lift his head when the man sat down on the bench across from him, though it was a near thing: it was only a few short years ago that he was following Batman and Robin around, camera in hand. Hero worship was a difficult thing to break, even when you’d taken to a glamorous life of crime.

“Shouldn’t you be in school?” And Tim allowed himself a laugh.

“Are you the truancy police now, too, Mr. Wayne?” he asked. He did lift his head then. The man across from him was, for all intents and purposes, the Batman wearing Bruce Wayne’s face. Tim really hoped he wasn’t about to be arrested.

“Looks like you’ve had a busy night.” And that, that right there was… insulting? No. Condescending?

“Yeah, funniest thing! I was just walking along, attempting to procure a particular thumb drive containing a particular file with _particularly_ interesting information when, right now of nowhere! Explosions and captives and clowns- OH MY!” Tim tossed his cup into a nearby trashcan and crossed his arms. “Personally, I think I’m owed a day off from classes. You know, Mr. Wayne, when criminals are doing your job for you, you’re doing something very _wrong_.”

And really, what the hell? Where did he find the balls to tell the _goddamn Batman_ what to do and how to do it? He still gets nervous around the man at socialite gatherings, for Christ’s sake.

Mr. Wayne gives him an odd yet calculating look.

“Do you think of yourself as a criminal, Tim?” the man asked. Tim looked away and gave a bitter smile.

“Nah, Mr. Wayne,” he said sarcastically. “I’m just a collector. Collecting things. Illegally.” _Oh my god, **shut up**_ , he yelled internally. When Mr. Wayne said nothing (just continued to _stare him down_ ) he sighed. “I didn’t get into this… this _game_ to hurt anyone. No one decent at least,” Tim said. The man kept silent, but it was a silence that expected him to say more. “People have always told me I’m too curious. Tell me I should stop being so nosy. But I can’t. I have to know. This, that, who, how, and _why_. You’d be surprised how many people take offense to that.”

“Not really. But why this? Sounds like you have the makings of a great reporter, son. Why a _thief_ of information rather than, say, a journalist?” Mr. Wayne pressed. The cut above Tim’s eye started to throb again.

“I said I wanted to know things. Not that I felt like sharing with the masses. Collector, remember?” he answered. Mr. Wayne nodded.

“Ah, yes. A collector… and, on occasion, a rescuer of hostages.” Was that an amused smile on the man’s face? Tim rolled his head around dramatically.

“You’re not gonna tell anyone about that, are you? I have a _reputation_ of _non-interference_ to uphold.”

“A reputation you consistently drop when Robin, Nightwing, or myself are otherwise indisposed.”

Tim froze.

“Surely you didn’t think we hadn’t noticed…?”

“… I had hoped not,” Tim said slowly. He wanted to ask Mr. Wayne, if he didn’t plan on arresting him, to _please_ _go away_. He was undoing all the work the smoothies had done to soothe his sore body. “Soooo…”

“So?”

Oh, now Batman was teasing him. Just _perfect_.

“So if you’re here to let me know that you know I know how to steal a hostage or two from crazies and _not_ here to arrest me, I think I should probably be getting back home now.” With that, Tim forced his tired arms to push himself up.

“Certainly you mean back to class.”

And Tim immediately sat back down, head thumping down on top of his arms. He heard a chuckle from above him.

“I’d advise you to stay out of trouble, but it would probably fall on deaf ears, correct?”

“Sorry, did you say something?” Tim replied from his arms, feeling spontaneously cheeky. _Stupidly_ cheeky. Cheeky to Batman _Tim,whatthehellareyoudoing_? And there was that amused chuckle again _thank god_. Tim heard the shuffle of clothing and the sound of the man walking away.

Right, a nap. Nap sounds good.

“Here ya go, kid.” Suddenly a smoothie was set in front of him. Tim lifted his head and looked at the stand’s employee curiously. “Courtesy of Mr. Fancy-Pants in the nice suit,” he said and _really_? Who didn’t know _Bruce friggin’ Wayne_ in this city? Nevertheless, Tim reached out for the cup. The cup which had a _particular_ thumb drive taped to the top of the lid.

Well then.

He really should call Selina.

**Author's Note:**

> This came without prompting. Without proper planning. Without a clear reason for being in general. 
> 
> I don't know what this is.


End file.
